Seborrheic Dermatitis

[Marcie Mom]

Thanks for the update, Nizoral seems to work quite well

[lmercier]

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum, 31 year-old female.
I've been struggling with flare ups on my scalp, hairline, temples, eyebrows, between the brows and ears for a decade now. I feel that my triggers are humid weather and stress. For instance if it rains on my head and I just let it dry indoors, I'm sure to get a huge scalp flare up. I always blow-dry my hair out of the shower and that seems to help.
Prescription shampoos have never worked that well for me. I get the same results from H&S without the burning sensation. And they dry out my skin which I don't like.
Lately, I've been using the eczema cream from Eucerin as a face moisturizer and I really like it. Scales have almost disappeared from my brow and hairline without any discomfort (most creams cause a burning sensation where the skin is raw).
I've also had great luck in the past with marula oil which comes from a nut and is said to prevent eczema, but it's rather expensive and I haven't stocked up in a while. It's kind of counterintuitive to moisturize oily scaly skin but it works a lot better than drying it out in my experience.
Good luck everyone!

[Marcie Mom]

Thanks for your sharing! Good to hear you're better now

[pmartin8]

Hi guys,
I have been strugling with a moderate/severe Seborrheic Dermatitis in the last 15 years. Starting from 25 years old. I have and experinced a lot of things so I thing this could help some others out there.

Facts:
- It's worst when tired/stressed.
- It's worst with bad hygien (going camping or trekking for a few days without a proper shower)
- I can't grow a beard because the dead skin stuck in my beard would promote the development of fungus that creates the SD.
- Sun cream promotes SD.
- Drinking alcohol (any kind) will kick start my SD... especially if I go to bed late!

So for about 10 years I battled against my SD using a few techniques which actually worked pretty good. Somehow, I was always on the verge of having a badSD episode.

- I washed my face every morning with Spectrum - fragrence free - soap.
- Applied some anti-fungus cream right after shower (ketoconazol).
- If I feel a spurt of SD is coming, I put some light cortisone cream (eczema care) for 1 or 2 days just to kill it.
- I quit drinking alcohol, stop putting sun cream around my nose and keep my beard shaven at all time.


Then, about a year ago, my mum gave me a bag of Chaga dried mushroom because she didnt want it. It a mushroom that is tasteless that you put in your tea. Since I drink tea at work, I decided to try it so that it doesnt go to waste. Apparently it was good for my immune system so it couldnt do no harm. What happened after a week or so is that my SD actually disapeared. Perfect skin like I hadnt seen in the last 15 years. I didnt make any relation with the chaga at first. I thought I was getting older and my hormones had changed and fixed the problem. But then came a day when I ran out of Chaga (after about 4 months of perfect skin). Guess what... my SD came right back! So in my case, it became pretty obvious that the Chaga was helping me. Since then, I have tried a few days withtout it and I can see a big difference. What bugs me the most is that I cant find any serious studies that make a relation between chaga and SD.

So I asked my sister inlaw who is an internist. Her point was basically: Why would any drug company spend so much money to prove that something works if its not possible to make it in a lab? There are plenty of companies out there to testify the effect of cortisone... that is actually a bendaid on the wound. But what about fixing the actual problem?

Anyways, I'd be interrested to hear about someone who tries Chaga to see if it does help for him/her. Please keep me posted at pmartin8 -at- gmail -dot - com

Pierre

[learningportuguese]

I am in my mid-30s and suffered with this for ages. I have visited a dermatologist who described me as a "textbook case" of seborrheic dermatitis. She recommended Daktacort, Aveeno moisturiser and Nizoral shampoo.

The reason it is so annoying is because fungal cells are difficult to kill with their strong cell walls and resist medications. Therefore hoping for quick results is not realistic which leads many of us to try something and feel like it isn't working before switching to something else before we give it a chance.

I was having a bad flare about 18 months ago and was getting annoyed by the condition. I decided to wage a war on it and thankfully I found a regime that is working for me.

I think my initial treatment failed because I was anxious about the steroid in Daktacort (antifungal + steroid) so I was using it sparingly. I discovered two antifungal creams that can be applied liberally (without steroid) and will not damage the skin. These are: Daktarin Gold (ketoconazole 2%), and Canestan (clotrimazole 1%). I had greated success slathering these creams on liberally than with Daktacort (that also seemed to sting and cause redness so I never used it properly, that is, to the extend that is required to control this disease - liberal application of these antifungals).

My initial regime, while my skin was bad and showing no signs of remission:
- Nizoral shampoo (ketoconazole) alternated every other day with Head and Shoulders, if conditioner is needed, used Head and Shoulders conditioner.
- Shower daily, or twice per day (absolutely essential and the more the better).
- Wash face with a good face wash morning and night (I used clearasil and applied the clearasil toner afterwards). I also used clearasil cleansing pads initially in between face washes e.g. at work. My skin sometimes complained but I persevered with this treatment in the goal of keeping the skin clean and clear of fungal activity and oil. I later realised it was because of the disease that my skin barrier was compromised and I recommend pushing on with cleansing the skin like crazy for the first 4 weeks even if it appears to be dry, it is the fungal activity damaging the skin giving it an appearance of eczema.
- Apply the antifungal creams 2-3 times per day. Even if you are rushing to work and need to shower, put the cream on if it is due and don't stress. Even five minutes on the skin before you wash is better than nothing and it will be suppressing the yeasts.
- Apply moisturiser after showering (I used Aveeno). This will help build up the strength of the skin barrier. Don't worry about which cream you apply first, moisturiser or Daktarin, as long as you put them on they will work.
- For men (like me) remain clean-shaven
- I also used the supplemental treatment "Sebclair" - this seemed to assist in bringing in a remission a little faster. It contains piroctone olamine which I gather is just another antifungal. I used this whenever I felt like it, maybe once a day.

There MAY be a link between diet e.g. alcohol intake, carbs etc, but I honestly don't think altering these alone is going to cut it, this is a tenacious disease with many factors we don't truly understand such as immune system factors and individual differences in skin lipid composition. Worry about maintaining the above changes first, get into the routine, and then bring in these lifestyle changes (changing too much at once can be too overwhelming so start with the changes that are medically proven and then bring in other lifestyle changes).

Results:
It took about a month straight of this "regime" before I really saw results. Some days my skin would look clearer and others it would look bad. I just carried on with determination and eventually it cleared after about 4-6 weeks. This clearing of the condition happened quite suddenly, it was looking bad and then a week later was all gone.
I have not had a relapse since I did this initial treatment 18 months ago, and I will explain how I maintained my recovery. I am symptom free.

Maintenance:
- Continue antifungal shampoos and conditioner, relying more on Head and Shoulders than Nizoral (cheaper). Sometimes they do dry the hair which is why I mentioned Head and Shoulders conditioner.
- Continue antifungal creams - perhaps 2-4 times per week but as long as you use it from time to time it will keep it suppressed (you could use it at the weekend if that helps remember, I usually apply it as a "night cream").
- Maintain daily showers (once a day is enough) with facewash x 2 per day. I no longer use the harsher Clearasil facewash, but any good skin cleanser from Nivea, Dove etc. I don't depend on the toner or cleansing pads now but use from time to time if I am looking oily. I still recommend these daily during the initial phase to get rid of as much oil and remove as much fungi/oil as possible.
- Continue to keep the skin moisturised (I still use Aveeno).
- Sunlight as much as you can get (I am in the UK and this is variable - it is not really enough alone to be a treatment but it does not hurt).

There is a lot of upkeep but once it is gone, you can breathe a little. I have adapted to the routine of it and now do it without thinking.

Don't worry about moisturisers "feeding the yeast" - even if it is true, the benefits of maintaining strong skin outweighs this because you are still applying the antifungals. This threw me in the early days.
Don't worry too much about product ingredients, such as if a product contains alcohol. Just cleanse/tone/moisturise at least two to three times per day (and at first, as much as possible - even if the skin LOOKS dry - keep cleansing!). I used Clearasil because it is for acne and I felt if seborrheic dermatitis is worsened by skin oils, so is acne, therefore it might be a good cleanser. It also contains salicylic acid which is apparently good for seborrhea - not sure if it matters.

I am really thrilled at the success and now I can go on holiday without having to pack all these creams etc. As long as I maintain high standards of hygiene with whatever shampoos and cleansers - or even hotel soap if desperate - then it is alright. I would not recommend camping trips though as showers and hygiene is critical. The skin is so good now that I think it would probably take a few months of lapsing the treatment before I went back to square one.

Good luck, just follow the above and persevere - I am certain it will work if you keep at it especially in the early stages and remember it will take a month at least before you notice anything dramatic.

[talkhealth]

Hi learningportuguese

Thank you for your very informative reply.

Kind regards
talkhealth

[Clear-Face-Again]

Hi All,

I know this is forum discussion is old, however, I thought I'd chip in with some helpful information to try and get you back in control of your Seborrheic condition.

I suffered from the condition for around 30 years and tried everything the Dr recommended, including attending skin clinics at the hospital. None of this worked, I therefore came to terms that it was just a part of life that I had to deal with.
I had the condition in the classic regions, which included my forehead, either side my nose, chin and chest. These areas would become affected at any time, as you all know, it can get rather embarrassing going in public with a bright red sore face, receiving comments like, Wow, that sun burn looks painful.... Yeah, thanks for telling me.
I found that sweating caused the condition to become severe. I have been a firefighter for 30 years and after working hard in the job, I would have a break-out every time. You know it's going to be a bad when your face becomes very hot with a burning itchiness under the skin.

Anyway, that's enough about me, I'll cut to the chase, give this a try, it worked for me and have now been clear for a whole year now.

Wash your hair and all effected areas in cold water using Head & Shoulders shampoo.
After (key ingredient) apply Jojoba oil to those areas. In the early days of this process it is good practice to do this two or three times a day.
After a couple of weeks you should notice a very slight improvement with very little to no soreness.
Repeat this process until clear.
That's it! I took back control (cured?) after three months of this process with no visible signs that I ever suffered from it. I hope my method works for you too.
Good luck
John

[SEBDERMTPL]

Hello,

Figured i'd share my sorry/insight for others as i find the replies previous to mine to be helpful. My seb derm problems started when i was 19 in 2016, started on my chest and i noticed it was aggravated by sweat. For the next year or so i have it behind my ears and on my chest/in between my shoulders and it doesnt cause me too many problems. Flash forwards 2018 and i get home from a month abroad travelling europe in temps often reaching 34 degrees celsius, very hot compared to the mild temperate UK. The seb derm breaks out all over my face, and is incredibly itchy, i tried steroid creams initially but after a week it would come back and im aware these harmful for your face anyway. After months of battling it i finally found a solution, Nizoral 2% shampoo. Simply used it on my face every 2-3 days for 3 weeks straight and my skin recovered, i didnt have another outbreak for 5 months, if my skin was ever dry i simply used e45 anti-itch moisturiser.

I have concluded that my 'stressors' appear to be:
1. Stress, stress impacts your immune system and this is certainly a contributor to my seb derm.
2. Fatigue, if i'm ever low on sleep i run the risk of a breakout.
3. Sweat, as aforementioned this is what caused my original breakouts anyway, hot climates appear to aggravate my skin more than colder ones, which is contrary to what a lot of other people experience.

Would love to hear if sweat/hot climates impact anyone elses seb derm. Regardless i hope my contribution to this forum is of use to some people.

[Marcie Mom]

We found Nizoral to be useful as well, but as shampoo though We live in a hot and humid climate, take care, cheers

[Joolz123]

Hi,
I just want to share my experience and subsequent success story with Seb Derm in the hope that it may benefit someone else. I had this really severely on my face and scalp for almost a year, and in hindsight realise it was an underlying condition that I had always suffered from with flare ups occasionally which I attributed to food allergies. However this particular flare up was really bad, worsening all the time and was making my life a misery, which anyone that has it will be familiar with. I wasted a ridiculous amount of money on creams, lotions, potions and remedies and also doctors prescriptions, discovering that my doctors did not seem to understand this condition fully and most prescriptions made it worse.

However, hours of internet research to understand the condition, trial and error and sheer good luck eventually produced my perfect solution combo, and my skin is now perfectly clear, soft and smooth and has been for over a year now. I'm not saying this may work for everyone as I know that the condition varies from person to person, but if you are at your wits end with this like I was, perhaps it's worth a try so is here it is:
- T-gel shampoo twice a week (available in stores, online or pharmacy)
- Diprosalic Scalp Application applied sparingly after washing hair (doctors prescription)
- Raw organic apple cider vinegar diluted with water 1:2 applied with cotton wool to face daily while bathing. (Available in supermarkets & health food stores)
- Avene Skin Recovery Cream (Not Aveeno - different brand) used as moisturiser twice daily. If you check this out on line, the preparation and ingredients of this cream are different to other moisturisers which is what makes it suitable for this condition as I could not use ANY other moisturiser at all, even prescription ones as they all made the condition much worse. This is because they stimulated the overproduction of sebum more (the root of this condition I believe from my research) which in turn made the scaling much worse. The deceptive thing about this condition is that it usually appears dry because of the scaling but is actually over producing oil causing the scaling - so the Avene creme was my saving grace and I notices a difference within 48 hours. (Available in larger Boots stores and other places online)
So there it is - I have absolutely no investment in any of the products noted here, I just want to help anyone if possible with this debilitating condition if you wish to try it for yourself - I really hope it works for you as it had worked for me! Good luck!